II 109th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 3601 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES June 29, 2006 Mr. Schumer introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry A BILL To amend the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Poultry Products Inspection Act to improve the safety of meat and poultry products by enhancing the ability of the Secretary of Agriculture to retrieve the history, use, and location of a meat or poultry product through a recordkeeping and audit system or registered identification, and for other purposes.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the Meat and Poultry Products Traceability and Safety Act of 2006.
2.
Traceability of livestock and poultry
(a)
Livestock
Title I of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
25.
Traceability of livestock, meat, and meat products
(a)
Definition of traceability
In this section, the term traceability means the ability to retrieve the history, use, and location of an article through a recordkeeping and audit system or registered identification. (b)
Requirements
(1)
In general
Amenable species presented for slaughter for human food purposes, and the carcasses or parts of carcasses and the meat and meat food products of those species, shipped in interstate commerce shall be identified in a manner that enables the Secretary to trace— (A)each animal or group of animals of the amenable species (as determined by the Secretary to be appropriate for each amenable species) to any premises or other location at which the animal was held at any time before slaughter; and (B)each carcass or part of a carcass and meat and meat food product of the amenable species forward from slaughter through processing and distribution to the ultimate consumer. (2)
Traceability system
The Secretary shall establish a traceability system for all stages of production, processing, and distribution of meat and meat food products that are produced through the slaughter of amenable species described in paragraph (1). (c)
Prohibition or restriction on entry
The Secretary may prohibit or restrict entry into any slaughtering establishment inspected under this Act of any amenable species not identified as prescribed by the Secretary under subsection (b). (d)
Records
(1)
In general
The Secretary may require that each person, firm, and corporation required to identify an amenable species under subsection (b) maintain accurate records, as prescribed by the Secretary, regarding the purchase, sale, and identification of the amenable species. (2)
Access
Each person, firm, and corporation described in paragraph (1) shall, at all reasonable times, on notice by a duly authorized representative of the Secretary, allow the representative to access to each place of business of the person, firm, or corporation to examine and copy the records described in paragraph (1). (3)
Duration
Each person, firm, and corporation described in paragraph (1) shall maintain records required to be maintained under this subsection for such period of time as the Secretary prescribes. (e)
False information
No person, firm, or corporation shall falsify or misrepresent to any other person, firm, or corporation, or to the Secretary, any information as to any premises at which any amenable species or carcasses of amenable species were held. (f)
Alteration or destruction of records
No person, firm, or corporation shall, without authorization from the Secretary, alter, detach, or destroy any records or other means of identification prescribed by the Secretary for use in determining the premises at which any amenable species or carcasses of amenable species were held. (g)
Relation to country of origin labeling
Nothing in this section prevents or interferes with implementation of the country of origin labeling requirements of subtitle D of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1638 et seq.).
. (b)
Poultry
The Poultry Products Inspection Act is amended by inserting after section 23 (21 U.S.C. 467e) the following:
23A.
Traceability of poultry and poultry products
(a)
Definition of traceability
In this section, the term traceability means the ability to retrieve the history, use, and location of an article through a recordkeeping and audit system or registered identification. (b)
Requirements
(1)
In general
Poultry presented for slaughter for human food purposes and poultry products shipped in interstate commerce shall be identified in a manner that enables the Secretary to trace— (A)each poultry or group of poultry (as determined by the Secretary to be appropriate) to any premises or other location at which the poultry was held at any time before slaughter; and (B)each poultry product forward from slaughter through processing and distribution to the ultimate consumer. (2)
Traceability system
The Secretary shall establish a traceability system for all stages of production, processing, and distribution of poultry and poultry food products that are produced through the slaughter of poultry described in paragraph (1). (c)
Prohibition or restriction on entry
The Secretary may prohibit or restrict entry into any slaughtering establishment inspected under this Act of any poultry not identified as prescribed by the Secretary. (d)
Records
(1)
In general
The Secretary may require that each person, firm, and corporation required to identify poultry under subsection (b) maintain accurate records, as prescribed by the Secretary, regarding the purchase, sale, and identification of the poultry. (2)
Access
Each person, firm, and corporation described in paragraph (1) shall, at all reasonable times, on notice by a duly authorized representative of the Secretary, allow the representative to access to each place of business of the person, firm, or corporation to examine and copy the records described in paragraph (1). (3)
Duration
Each person, firm, and corporation described in paragraph (1) shall maintain records required to be maintained under this subsection for such period of time as the Secretary prescribes. (e)
False information
No person, firm, or corporation shall falsify or misrepresent to any other person, firm, or corporation, or to the Secretary, any information as to any premises at which any poultry or carcasses of poultry were held. (f)
Alteration or destruction of records
No person, firm, or corporation shall, without authorization from the Secretary, alter, detach, or destroy any records or other means of identification prescribed by the Secretary for use in determining the premises at which any poultry or carcasses of poultry were held. (g)
Relation to country of origin labeling
Nothing in this section prevents or interferes with implementation of the country of origin labeling requirements of subtitle D of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1638 et seq.).
.
3.
Technical corrections
(a)
In general
The Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) is amended— (1)by striking cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, mules, or other equines each place it appears and inserting amenable species; (2)by striking cattle, sheep, swine, or goats each place it appears and inserting amenable species; (3)by striking cattle, sheep, swine, and goats each place it appears and inserting amenable species; (4)by striking cattle, sheep, swine, goats, or equines each place it appears and inserting amenable species; (5)by striking cattle, sheep, swine, goat, or equine each place it appears and inserting amenable species; and (6)by striking cattle, sheep, swine, goat, or other equine each place it appears and inserting amenable species. (b)
Effective date
The amendments made by subsection (a) shall take effect on the day after the effective date of section 794 of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006.